Latching device for refrigerator doors



April 24, 1928.

1,667,494 'r. o. SCHRADER LATCHING DEVICE- FOR REFRIGERATOR DOORS Filed July 14, 1925 Patented Apr. 24,- 1928.

. i V 1.66m UNITED STATES "PATENT! OFFICE.

none 0. SGHRADEB, OF ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO DENT iIABD- WABECQ, OF FULLERTON, PENNSYLVANIA. A CORPORATION OF PENNBYLVAJYIA.

Larcmc nnvrcr. FOB maremron noons.

Application flle'd'Iuly 14, 1925. Scflal 1T0. 43,475.

This invention, generally stated, relates to a latching device for refri erator or like doors and has more especia relation to a latching device in which the opera'ting'handle is longitudinally extended and which the latching door is arran ed in parallelism therewith and is provided at its working end with a roller for engaging akeeper upon the refrigerator casing.

- time 1t is necessary for them to open and close refrigerator doors.-

A further ob "ect of the present inventionis to provide general details of construction and arrangement and combination of arts for attaining the results sought by the eadin object.

%ther and furtherobjects not at this time appearing will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists of the novel construction hereinafter. described and finally claimed.

The nature, characteristic features andscope of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, and in which Fig. 1, is'a fragmentary view in front elevation ofa-refrigerator or like casing provided with a keeper and a' door provided with a latching attachment the said view illustrating the parts in latched position.

Fig. 2, is a view in lonfgitudlnal section.

taken upon the line 2-2 Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, is a view in rear elevation of the latchmg' attachment detached from-the door. Fig. 4, is a view in longitudinal section of the latch bar; and v Fi is a view in elevation of the keeper detac e For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown 'in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found in practice to W satisfactory and reliable results,althoug%i it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can vaas previousl riously arranged ,and organized and that my invention is not limited to the arrangfment and organization of the 1nstru-' menta "ties as herein shown and described.

Referringto the drawings in detail the reference numeral 1 designates the casing or housing of a refrigerator or the like and the referencen'umeral 2 designates a doorhaving hinged connection therewith. Carried by the door 2 is a casing-3 secured to the door 2 by means of screws 4. This casing 3 is open at its rear as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and3 and is adapted to abut directly against the door 2. The forward end of casing 3 is provided with a rectangular opening 5. and at itsrear is provided with another opening so that a latch bar may move longitudinally through said casing 3. That portion of the latch bar which moves through opening 5 is of rectangular cross-section and is provided with a vertically extended opening therethrough which is designated 6 and immediately adjacent said side opening is slotted or bifurcated as at 7. The opposite end of this latch bar is provided with a stem 8 of circular cross-section for movement through opening in the rear of casing 3.

Between the part 9 of the lock bar and the rear wall of easing 3 is arranged a coiled spring 10 for normally causing said latch bar to assume the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The lower portion of the latch-bar is notched as at 11, see Fig. 4 so that when the latch bar is in retracted position the said notched part is caused to engage with the lower edge of the opening 5 in casing 3. The latch bar is brought to this position by operating handle 12 which is horizontally disposed and is pivoted as at 13 between a pair of lugs 14 formed integral with the outer face of easing 3. Pivotally arranged in the bifurcatedpart of the latch bar is a roller 15 which in the closing of the door 2 is adapted to ride over the surface of keeper 16 to release. the latch bar and cause the roller 15 to seat within the keeper, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To set the latch bar the handle 12 is moved outwardly so that the cam 17 of said handle which engages within the opening 6 of the latch bar may cause the latch bar to recede until the notched part of the latch bar engages the edge of opening 5 described. It will be understood that t latching tonntically latch a refrigerator or other doorrecise attachment will aug nee-1,4,

when the roller 15 engages the surface 250i opposite end of said latch-bar being of circu- 25 keeper 16. Thus, if the handle 12 has not lar cross-section, that end of said latch bar been moved to set the latch bar in latched poadjacent said bifurcated part' being notched "Simon and the door is partly open, the door at 11 for engaging with the' squared open- 5 may be closed and latched by merely pushin ing in 'said casing in retracted position of it shut since the iatchbar will recedesuflisaid latch-bar, a roller mounted in said 0 ciently under the tension of spring 10 to bebifurcated part, a keeper secured vto said come latched with respect to the keeper after housing with which keeper the end of said a door is fully closed; latch-bar carrying said roller, is adapted I 10 Having thus described my invention, what to coo erate, a pair of lugs secured to the I claim as new and desire to secure by Letouter ace of said casing, a longitudinally ar 35- ters Patent, is: V V ranged handle pivoted between said lugs for In a latching device the combination of a causing tilting of said latch-bar, said handle 'housin and a door arranged in parallelism having a'laterally extended cam portion for 15 therewlth, a casing having an open back seengaging within said opening 6 of said latchcured directly to said door, said casing havbar, and a right angle part arranged between #0 ingat one end a squared opening and havsaid roller and opening 6 and movable ing mounted for longitudinal movement through the part 5 and with which said cam therethrough, a spring pressed latch-har,the portion contacts in locked position of said '2 longitudinal axis thereof being arranged at hunch-bar.-

an inclination with res ect to the outer sur- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 45 face of the door, whic latch-bar is of recsigned iny name. 1

tan ar cross-section at its forward end 7 v r 1 having an opening 6, a bifurcated part 7 the T1108. 0. SCHRADER. 

